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Kevin Pietersen, the England batsman, has received substantial libel damages
from Specsavers, the opticians, over an advert that suggested he may have
tried to deceive the umpires during this summer’s Ashes series.

Specsavers had run adverts that featured a photograph of Pietersen with the
statement: “Bat tampering in the Ashes? Apparently Hot Spot should’ve gone
to Specsavers.”

It was a reference to claims made by Australia’s Channel Nine broadcaster
during the Ashes that Pietersen may have used silicone tape on his bat to
prevent the detection of the ball glancing the edge by the thermal-imaging
Hot Spot cameras that are